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Post Rating System (THUMBS!!!) -- The Verdict is IN post 171; polls are closed!

EDITED TO ADD: Based on feedback received, we removed the negative ratings, and the notification system to make the rating system less obtrusive. Feel free to continue to comment here about the changes.

We can always tweak things down the road again, but this set-up should be less polarizing!

Now that folks have had a lot of time to see it in action, please weigh in with your feelings/thoughts on the post rating system. Preliminary feedback indicates that folks are at least OK with the thumbs up, but don't like the thumbs down, so we will probably be getting rid of the thumbs down.

We want folks to be able to officially weigh in on a poll however before we do anything. Feel free to add comments to elaborate on your answer or provide additional feedback.

A heads up in advance that we'd already attempted to return the "Notifications" system back to the way the PM inbox worked before in the old software (i.e. not tie in the notifications for thumbs) before the update was released, and it was not something that could be easily stripped from the new software. We can look into modifying the code further if feedback warrants it.

I probably won't hit on the "perfect" poll option to express everyone's sentiments, so just pick as close as possible and feel free to elaborate on the thread.

I really just hate the notifications. When I see that I have a notification I always get all excited, thinking I've gotten a fabulously nasty pm or something, only to find a bunch of "helpful" ratings. Because I never get "bad" ones. No sir, not me.

Well, if you want, I can draft up a scathingly mean and nasty PM (the contents of which, I'm sure is not true) and send it to you or I can send you pictures of my really really really ridiculously cute dog.

Thus do we growl that our big toes have, at this moment, been thrown up from below!

I REALLY dislike the rating system. For whatever reason, I don't get the notifications, which is a GOOD thing. It isn't easy for many people to post. There are many introverts on the board, and kindness is important to encourage discussion. I want to hear from them. I'm a regular poster, but it is always an act of courage to post.

It also feels quite middle school mean. In addition, I intensely dislike that it is there for data mining for third party use. Facebook is getting slapped down for it. I feel that I'm giving you enough information from your regular cookies.

I have another gripe. I read the previous posts and threads of posters to understand them better, and decide whether to contact them. The friendships that are created on this BB are an important part of building this caring community. You have cut the number of past post histories, which limits the usefulness of this important feature. If there is a way to find more history, I would like to know it. I also want to access my own history. I've given you a lot of my creative writing time, and I want to access that body of work.

I think the previous post thing went to crap because of the database migration. The software is very finnicky when it comes to old content and it probably needs some additional configuration to sort it out.

Thus do we growl that our big toes have, at this moment, been thrown up from below!

. . . You have cut the number of past post histories, which limits the usefulness of this important feature. If there is a way to find more history, I would like to know it. I also want to access my own history. I've given you a lot of my creative writing time, and I want to access that body of work.

I never was clever enough to save all my posts onto the desktop or where ever so I have the same problem. Feels dumb to have asked a specific question and gotten answers but not to have taken notes, so to speak.
I have seen that I can access old posts if I can find a poster with a low post count that posted on the same thread, often the thread will be there in it's entirety including my post, even though I can't access it through my own history. Wierd, that.

As far as the thumbs up/down, it is much simpler to just "agree", or take the trouble to - oh crud, cannot come up with the right words I am just too tired - you know, formulate an argument to the contrary and have a discussion for the disagree. I had someone the other day go through zombie posts and thumbs down everybody on the thread, and probably bump the thread too, I didn't even bother to go back and look at the thread. What on earth for?

Anyway, I can't pick any of the options on the poll because I think we ought to be able to agree or disagree without it being "good" or "bad", and I would far prefer a well thought out argument as to why I am wrong, but not everybody can stand back and defend their own position dispassionately or put forth their own opinion, (just look at off topic sometimes - woah!) so I suppose we ought to toss the thumbs down. That seems to be an option so I'll add to the count.

Bag the thumbs down/bad concept. It's being used for simply disagreeing with a well expressed opinion-that should not get a thumbs down and a "bad" notation. This used to be a place for discussion from all sides and varying opinions.

If posters disagree, they should express it in well thought out dialogue, not declaring a post "bad" and hiding behind cyberspace anonymity.

Thumbs up or a like type button would be OK but I hate the notifications. They don't differentiate between post ratings and PMs. Either I pull it up thinking it's a PM and it's just post ratings or I assume that is what it is and leave somebody hanging for days with a PM.

I voted for "nix it all", but I'm really between that & just nixing the "thumbs down".

I like being able to give a thumbs up to simply agree with a post without having to post a "ditto" or "I agree" post. But I think the "thumbs down" brings out the worst in people - some of whom I doubt even know what they're thumbing down. It's also cowardly & grade-school childish.

If I disagree with someone or something on this board, I have the balls to post why. Yes, it quite frequently doesn't win me any fans, but I feel it's the correct & adult way to disagree - not just some vacant "thumbs down" with no reason why.

So if we could have the positive without the negative - then I vote for that.
If it's all or nothing - then I say bag the whole thing.

I voted for "nix it all", but I'm really between that & just nixing the "thumbs down".

I like being able to give a thumbs up to simply agree with a post without having to post a "ditto" or "I agree" post. But I think the "thumbs down" brings out the worst in people - some of whom I doubt even know what they're thumbing down. It's also cowardly & grade-school childish.

If I disagree with someone or something on this board, I have the balls to post why. Yes, it quite frequently doesn't win me any fans, but I feel it's the correct & adult way to disagree - not just some vacant "thumbs down" with no reason why.

So if we could have the positive without the negative - then I vote for that.
If it's all or nothing - then I say bag the whole thing.

Now you see - this is just what I'm talking about. How can voicing my opinion on a poll re: the "thumbs up/thumbs down" issue garner a "thumbs down". Which coward here felt the need for that without bothering to post why? LOL!!! Really - way too funny.

I hope all the kindergarten kids here get into 1st grade next year. . . . .

Bag the thumbs down/bad concept. It's being used for simply disagreeing with a well expressed opinion-that should not get a thumbs down and a "bad" notation. This used to be a place for discussion from all sides and varying opinions.

If posters disagree, they should express it in well thought out dialogue, not declaring a post "bad" and hiding behind cyberspace anonymity.

Thumbs up or a like type button would be OK but I hate the notifications. They don't differentiate between post ratings and PMs. Either I pull it up thinking it's a PM and it's just post ratings or I assume that is what it is and leave somebody hanging for days with a PM.

Now you see - this is just what I'm talking about. How can voicing my opinion on a poll re: the "thumbs up/thumbs down" issue garner a "thumbs down". Which coward here felt the need for that without bothering to post why? LOL!!! Really - way too funny.

It is even more funny that you choose to complain about getting a thumbs down. Someone didn't agree so they gave you one, same as if someone did agree you would get a thumbs up. But I guess in the sunshine and rainbow world you want to live in, you only want to know if people agree and the hell with the rest.

I like the thumbs. It gives me a grin to get green ones, and I don't care when I get bad ones.

I think it beats having umpteen posts saying "I agree" and "I disagree". Because there are times that I do disagree with someone but I'm either not in a place to type up my reasons, or it's really just not worth the argument (slaughter, for instance) because I know I'm not going to change the person's mind.